Changing Majors
by Sass and Sex
Summary: Jed Bartlet and Abbey Barrington have been friends for a while. But how can they get to the point of being more than friends, like they both want, when he's studying to be a priest and she has a boyfriend? Bartlet History 2.


Author's Note: This story is a sequel to Don't Call Me That, which can be found on my author page.

**Changing Majors**

It had been almost a year since Abbey fell on Jed in the library. And in that year, they had become very good friends. Once they ran into each other at a frat party—and spent the entirety debating Psalms and quoting Sinatra lyrics, both of which Jed won by an extremely slim margin—their fate was sealed. He continued in his Theology major, and she continued in Biology. They studied in the library together every Friday. Most of the time, however, they ended up doing more talking, teasing, and arguing than actual studying. During school breaks, they flew from Indiana to Boston together. Her family lived in the suburbs and his in New Hampshire. Their friendship had become very important to both of them. And it was starting to become very troublesome.

Abbey was dating the son of an old family friend who had come to Notre Dame to do his Masters in Macroeconomics. Ron Ehrlich was a nice enough guy, and Abbey enjoyed dating him. Somehow, nearly nine months had gone by. Nine easy, nice, boring months.

Lately, however, Ron seemed a bit uneasy. Abbey assumed he was just worried about midterms, but when he asked her to dinner at the fanciest restaurant in town, she figured it out. She had told Ron yes and rushed home to do what any sensible twenty year old girl would do in that situation: analyze every aspect of it with her best friend.

"MILLIE!" Abbey shouted as she ran through the front door of their apartment.

Millicent Griffith came out from the bathroom, toweling her hair dry. "What!?"

Abbey dropped her purse and coat on the floor. "I think Ron is going to propose."

The blonde lit up. "That's fantastic!" But Millie noticed the way her friend's face fell. "Isn't it? Abbey, don't you want him to propose?"

"I…don't know…"

Millie misinterpreted Abbey's blank stare. "Well come on, Ab, don't you love him?"

Abbey just looked at her and remained silent.

Now Millie was beginning to understand. "Oh dear. Come on, let's do this right." She took her friend by the hand and dragged her into Abbey's room. They flopped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, just as they always did whenever one of them had a big problem. "Alright, spill it, Barrington."

"I'm just not in love with him, Millie. I'm not going to marry someone I'm not in love with."

"How do you know you won't fall in love with him over time?"

"I don't. But that's not how I want to start a marriage that's going to last the rest of my life." Abbey ran her hands through her long brown hair. "I think that when you're in love with someone, he should be what you want to think of when you wake up and what you want to think of when you fall asleep. He should be the first person you want to tell whenever anything happy or sad or funny or interesting happens just because you want to share everything about your life with him."

Millie smiled sadly at her words. "Abbey, that's only in fairytales. This is real life. Real people don't get to have epic love stories like that. If you're right and Ron really is going to propose, I think you should be happy that someone wanted to marry a college-educated woman. God knows I'm not getting any real prospects," she said cynically.

Abbey refused to believe it. "Love does exist, Millie. Don't be such a downer."

"So you're not going to say yes to Ron?"

She shook her head. "I don't think he really loves me either. Being in love with a person means wanting whatever is best for them, no matter what the cost, because making him happy makes you happy. I don't feel that way about Ron, and I'm pretty darn sure he doesn't feel that way about me. I want the man I marry to be the only man I think about, someone who understands me and supports me and makes me feel like I want to curl up in his strong arms and never leave." Abbey realized she was rambling and sat up, clearing her throat. "And I don't think you should marry a man unless you're absolutely sure of all those things."

Millie sat up, too. "Abbey, you sound like you're trying to convince yourself of something. You obviously don't want to marry Ron."

"No. I think I should break up with him before he gets a chance to propose at dinner tonight. Spare him any embarrassment of being turned down."

Millie nodded. "That's probably for the best. What are you going to tell Jed?"

"What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, Abbey! You tell him everything, and not just because you're helping him practice for when he's a priest."

"We're friends. I tell you everything, too. I spend time with my friends and share my life with them. What's wrong with that?"

Millie gave a knowing smile. "There's nothing wrong with that. There's nothing wrong with spending time with a man who understands you and supports you, a man you think of when you wake up and dream about at night…"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Abbey replied, feeling her face get hot as she lied.

"So you don't want him to wrap you in those strong arms of his and never let you go?" Millie teased.

"He's studying to be a priest!"

"And I bet he'd drop it in a heartbeat if you asked him to. Don't forget, I was in Organic Chemistry with the two of you last semester. I've seen how he looks at you, Abbey. He's probably looking for a reason to leave Theology and take up with you instead."

Abbey shook her head. "I'd never want him to do that. I can't ask him to give up the priesthood. When he sermonizes, Millie, it's like magic. He's so good at it. So passionate and kind and brilliant. He is going to be an amazing priest. I'm certainly not going to rob him or the Church of that. What the hell kind of Catholic would that make me?"

"It makes you a woman in love. You said it yourself: when you're in love with someone, you should want whatever is best for him, regardless of the cost."

"I hate it when you do that," Abbey grumbled.

"Would you just please admit it?"

"Admit what?"

"Abbey!"

"Alright, fine! I love him, okay? I love everything about Josiah Bartlet. But there's nothing I can do about it, so there's no use thinking about it!"

Millie beamed. "I think you should get dressed for your dinner with Ron, and call Jed as soon as you break up with him."

Abbey stood up and went into the bathroom to shower, trying to ignore everything Millie was saying. But maybe she would call Jed after dinner. She had started dating Ron very shortly after meeting Jed. And Jed was the kind of man who would never do anything untoward to any woman, let alone one with a boyfriend. Who knows what he would do if she suddenly found herself single?

While Abbey was getting ready to make a huge life decision, Jed had just come from making a huge life decision of his own. He walked out of the divinity school and felt a weight leave his shoulders as he walked into the early evening Indiana air. He had just come from telling Father Donovan that he would no longer be continuing with his Theology major.

"I have prayed, Father, and I have searched within myself, and I no longer believe that the clergy is God's plan for me."

"And why do you say that?"

"The passion and love and devotion I have for the Church hasn't gone, but it has changed. I have come to understand that I can carry out God's will and help the world in a different way. Study and charity are not exclusive to your occupation, Father, and I think I can do more good elsewhere," Jed replied candidly.

"Whether or not you do decide to enter the priesthood, I do hope you'll continue your theological education. We like having you in the department, Josiah."

"And I enjoy being in the department, sir. I think I'll continue with a Theology minor and switch to an American Studies major."

Father Donovan stood up and shook Jed's hand. "I know you'll do well in whatever you decide, and I hope you'll continue to come to my office hours with your questions. I'm not quite prepared to have to put an end to our discussions just yet," the priest admitted with a smile.

Jed returned the expression. "I'll still be around, Father. Thank you for your understanding."

"Go find your purpose, Josiah."

And with that, Jed was free. In the back of his mind, of course, he knew his purpose. Abbey. Everything was Abbey. It had taken a long time for him to admit it to himself. But he couldn't resist her. He was attracted to her from the moment he saw her, certainly, but that was easy, initially, to deny. The more he got to know her, however, and the more time they spent together, the harder and harder it became to continue on his chosen path. She matched him at every turn, something he had yet to experience in anyone his age, let alone in a woman.

And what a woman. She made him laugh, and she laughed with him. He loved her laugh. It was both throaty and nasal, melodic and loud and full of unrestrained joy. When she was really pleased with something, she would wrinkle her nose in the cutest way. She was effortlessly elegant and graceful, but so approachable and down to earth. She had a temper, certainly, but her humor cut through any negative feeling she ever had. She never backed down from anything. Her strength inspired him. Sometimes when he prayed in church, he would find his mind's eye drifting to an image of Abigail Barrington, his own personal angel.

Even if she was dating that idiot Ron Ehrlich, he now knew that he couldn't be a priest. Even if she married Ron, God forbid, he would love and support her through everything. As long as she wanted him in her life, Jed would be there. He couldn't imagine his life without her anymore. Every time they saw each other, he couldn't wait to tell her all about his day, just to share it with her. She was going to be a brilliant doctor someday, and a wonderful wife and mother. As much as he loved her, Jed wanted her to be everything she could be, whether or not it was with him.

And that realization was the confirmation he needed to leave his ideas of the priesthood behind. How could he devote his life to God when his heart belonged to her? He had no idea how he was going to tell her or how she was going to react or how he could possibly explain that the decision was made because of his feelings for her.

He walked back to his apartment in silent contemplation. Part of him was worried, but the other part, the bigger part, just couldn't wait to see her face again.

At six thirty, Abbey stood in the living room of the apartment, pacing and fidgeting. Millie sat on the couch in a sweatshirt and lounge pants, watching her beautiful, worried friend. Abbey looked over to see Millie's amused smirk.

"Would you stop that!? Be helpful, would you? How's my hair?"

Millie stood up. "You look gorgeous. Your hair is perfect. Your makeup is perfect. Your dress is perfect. Your shoes are perfect. Everything is perfect. It's actually a little annoying how pretty you are," she teased.

Abbey checked herself in the mirror for the thousandth time. Her long brown hair had been pulled back into a sleek and stylish bouffant. There were a few flyaway hairs that she tried to press back to no avail. Her eyeliner kept smudging from blinking her eyes so much. Her eyes tended to water when she got nervous. And her lipstick was nearly all rubbed off from the anxious way she pressed her lips together. But Millie was right about the dress and the shoes. She almost wore the pink dress—Ron liked to see her in pink—but had decided on red. Abbey always felt more comfortable in red; it made her feel strong. It also reminded her of blood, but as a future doctor, that wasn't as strange as perhaps it would have been for someone else. Life and love and strength emanated from the color and that made Abbey identify with it.

A knock came at the door, making Abbey jump. Millie ran over to answer it, letting Ron in. He looked nervous but happy. He flashed a million watt smile at Abbey the moment he saw her. It made her feel ill.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded and took his arm. Millie waved and closed the door behind them.

"You look great, Abbey."

"Thanks, Ron."

Ron drove them to the restaurant without speaking. Abbey stared out the window as the static sounds of The Supremes came over the radio in Ron's Buick. Most of their meal proceeded similarly. They made polite but stilted conversation. They were both nervous, though for very different reasons.

Finally, after dessert came, Ron smiled and took her hand across the table. "Abbey, I wanted to say something," he began.

"Can I say something first, please?" she begged.

He looked at her curiously. "Yeah, sure."

Abbey took her hand back from his. "I should have done this sooner, I'm sorry. I just…" She took a deep breath and just came out with it. "Ron, I don't think we should see each other anymore."

"What?"

"I've realized some things about myself, and I just don't see a future for us."

Ron was dumbfounded. He pulled a small box out from his jacked. "Abbey, I was going to propose to you!" He showed her the ring. It was lovely. Small and delicate. Not really her style, but very nice nonetheless.

She smiled sadly. "I had a feeling you were going to. And I wanted to spare you some dignity. I don't think I did a very good job. But I'm not in love with you, Ron. I like you very much. I've really enjoyed our time together. It's just that we're not meant to be anything more than we already are."

He gazed at her for a long time, his hand frozen as it held out the ring. Abbey waited for him to process. Finally, he put the box back in his pocked and nodded. "Okay. This is a little humiliating, but I can't blame you for how you feel. I guess this is preferable to me down on one knee and hearing you say no."

Abbey silently thanked God that he was so understanding. He really was a good man. He treated her well. Maybe if she had never met Jed and had no idea what being madly in love felt like, she and Ron would make a nice couple. But fate had steered her in a different direction. "I do hope we can still be friends."

Ron nodded. "Sure. We've known each other forever. Although I gotta say, this is going to be a pain to explain to our families. I think they were all rooting for us. Heck, my father was the one who told me to go out and get you a ring."

"I'm sure they'll understand," Abbey said. Her heart sank, however, imagining the look on her own father's face when he found out that he wouldn't be getting Ron as a son-in-law as she knew he wanted.

Ron drove Abbey back to her apartment. After parking, he leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I hope you find what you're looking for, Abbey. You're a great girl, and you deserve to be happy."

She smiled and wiped her eyes. "Thank you, Ron. And I know you'll find someone even better than me, though I'm not sure how that's possible."

He laughed. "True, but I'll have to try. Meanwhile, I think you probably have a phone call to make."

Abbey's eyes widened and her face grew hot. "I don't know about that, but I think I should maybe talk to a priest."

"Yeah, I figured as much."

Before getting out of the car, Abbey gave Ron a final kiss on the cheek and hugged him tight. "Thank you. And I really am sorry."

"Don't be. At least this way, I can get my money back for the ring and I'll be able to pay my rent next month."

Abbey waved as he drove away and climbed the stairs to her apartment. Millie was waiting by the door. "So? How did he take it? Or did you change your mind and get engaged?"

"Christ, Millie! Let me breathe a second, would you?!"

Millie just rolled her eyes and grabbed Abbey's left hand. "No ring. Did he not propose?"

"Not really. He was planning on it, just like I thought. But I said my piece first. He was really understanding. And I think he knows about Jed. He hinted at it anyway."

"He was alright with it? He didn't get mad?"

Abbey shook her head. "If he were that kind of man, I wouldn't have dated him in the first place, Millie. Now I think I'm going to call my priest."

Millie beamed and went into her bedroom, giving Abbey the privacy she needed for this call.

He picked up on the third ring. "Hello?"

"Hey there, Jethro."

"Abbey, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me that?" he asked for what was probably the tenth time this week alone.

"You can tell me as many times as you want, but I'm still going to do it."

He sighed into the phone and felt his heart beat faster when she laughed in response. "So what are you up to, doctor?"

"I just got home from dinner. I have some news."

"Actually, so do I. I'd like to tell you in person. Do you want to meet for a drink?" he asked, hoping he wasn't being too forward.

"Sure. I'd like to see you anyway. I finished that article you gave me yesterday. I'll give it back to you."

"The one on Vietnam or the one on the Rat Pack?"

She smiled. Only Jed Bartlet would find the subjects of foreign policy and Frank Sinatra equally interesting. Well, Jed and Abbey herself. "The Rat Pack. I didn't have the time to give Vietnam the attention it deserves. I'll be sure to look at it after church tomorrow. You're still delivering the sermon, right?"

"We'll talk about it when I see you. Down on the corner in five?"

Abbey bit her lip. "I'm still in my dinner dress."

"Oh. Then when do you want to meet?"

"No, we can meet now. I just wanted to warn you that I'm still dressed for dinner."

He chuckled. "Well I'll put on my jacket so you're not ashamed to be seen with me."

"Down on the corner in five." Abbey hung up and felt like bouncing with excitement. The thought of seeing him shouldn't do this to her. After all, they had spent the day before in the library together. But being newly single and finally admitting out loud that she loved him made Abbey feel like everything might be coming together.

She walked as fast as her high heels could carry her. But a mean, depressing thought wormed its way into her head: Jed was going to be a priest. Abbey's gait slowed as reality sunk back in. She could be single forever and love him as much as she wanted, but it would make no difference. Suddenly her news didn't seem so important.

Jed waited on the corner in front of the diner for a few minutes before seeing a vision in red approach. She was definitely overdressed for a beer with him at nine at night. But he allowed his eyes to feast on the beauty before him.

"Hi! You look fantastic," he told her.

Abbey's nose wrinkled and her cheeks flushed slightly. "Thanks. Not looking too bad yourself. That last minute jacket really does wonders," she teased.

He rolled his eyes and held the door open for her. Not only was it proper manners, but walking in behind her certainly had its visual benefits. Her hips swayed when she walked. And that dress showed off quite a bit of her legs. Altogether an extremely pleasing view.

They sat at the counter and each ordered a beer. Abbey passed the article over to him, which he folded up and put in is jacket pocket. They toasted to each other and started took a swig of their drinks.

"So," Abbey said, wiping foam off her top lip, "you said you had news."

"Oh. Yeah. Well, I've been thinking for a while now and I made the decision yesterday, actually. I went in this afternoon and talked to Father Donovan. And…uh…well, I won't be delivering the sermon tomorrow."

"Really? Why not? I was looking forward to hearing it."

"I can give it to you another time. But I've decided to switch my major and minor. American Studies major and Theology minor."

Abbey couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So what does that mean?" Her heart skipped a beat as she waited for his response.

"It means that I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I'm not going to become a priest." Jed looked into her wide green eyes, trying to discern her expression.

"You're not going to be a priest?" she repeated.

Now he was getting nervous. "Yeah. I think I have a different purpose. I can serve in a different way. I have plenty I'm passionate about. The Church just isn't my path. Not anymore, anyway."

Abbey interrupted before he could continue blabbering. "I broke up with Ron."

"You what?"

"He was going to propose, but I wasn't in love with him and I didn't want to marry him, so I ended it before he could say anything."

"You're not with Ron anymore?"

Now it was Abbey's turn to babble nervously. "No. He took it really well. I'm really glad about it, actually. Being single is…Jed?"

His blue eyes were wide and his mouth hung open somewhat stupidly. But hearing her beautiful voice say his name brought him out of his state of shock. And he could finally do what he had wanted to do from the moment he met her.

He kissed her.

Abbey was surprised to find his mouth on hers, but once she realized what was happening, she threw her arm around his neck and pulled his lips tighter against hers. After a moment, however, she just couldn't contain herself. Her lips, still attached to his, broke into a smile and a small laugh escaped.

Jed pulled away suddenly and cleared his throat awkwardly. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, nervous that her eagerness was somehow not what he wanted.

"You…uh…" Why was his face getting so hot?

Abbey understood what he was trying to say and burst into laughter. "No, Jed. You're the one who pulled away. I'm happy. I'm really, really happy. Do you know how long I've wanted to kiss you?"

He couldn't believe his ears. "You!? What about me? Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

"Yes, actually."

He chuckled at her confident candor. "So if you wanted to kiss me so bad, why didn't you?"

"Because you were training to be a priest. And I'm a good enough Catholic to know better."

He smirked. "So how about a good Catholic girl and an American Studies major?"

"Catholic girl without a boyfriend, you mean," she corrected.

"Oh yeah, that's right," he said with feigned realization. "So does that mean I can kiss you again?"

She laughed. "Finish your beer, Jethro."

"Don't call me that," he replied with a smile, taking a long swallow.

"I think I will," she replied. Abbey couldn't stop smiling. She didn't know if she would ever stop smiling.

They finished drinking rather quickly. Jed threw some money on the counter and grabbed her hand. She happily allowed him to tug her outside. As soon as they rounded the corner of the building and out of the light of the streetlamp, he was pressed up against her.

This time they had a real, proper kiss. Abbey was still far too elated to have any coherent thoughts in her head, but she couldn't help but noticing that he was an extremely good kisser. Much better than she would have expected of a priest in training. Though to be fair, Jed was amazing at nearly everything. Why should kissing be any different?

Jed had to use nearly all his powers of restraint to keep his hands and mouth at relatively respectable locations. Now that Abbey was in his arms, he just wanted to explore every inch of her. But just to kiss her…This was heaven. Nothing in the world had ever been this good. In his twenty-one years, Jed Bartlet had never been this exceptionally happy for even one moment.

Eventually they had to break apart for air. In typical fashion, Abbey quipped, "I think I like being single."

Jed smiled. "I think I like being an American Studies major."

Abbey felt all the love in her heart show in her face. She reached her hands up into his sandy hair and pulled him back to her. She didn't know what he was thinking, but as far as she was concerned, they could stay behind the diner in each other's arms forever.

He knew Abbey was bold, but having her initiate the next round was an extreme turn on. If he had it his way, they would stay here kissing until they dropped dead.


End file.
